The Other Celestial Mage
by inizhay
Summary: Yukino thought her crush on Natsu was hopeless. But when Fairy Tail and Sabertooth decide to combine their S-Class trials, she has a chance to learn that maybe there's something there after all. Nakino.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, all! I'm not sure where this came from (I think I was watching a Fabled Fairy Studio MEP video on YouTube) but it suddenly struck me that Yukino and Natsu are kinda cute. I just feel like she would be really grateful to him for the whole Sabertooth thing from the GMG. Also, people pair her with Sting, who is a lot like Natsu, so why not?**

 **Anyway, this is after all of that when things go back to normal for a bit after the dragons are gone. Please enjoy, and let me know if you dig it, and also if you think I should make this more than a one-shot.**

* * *

Fairy Tail was lively as ever when the three mages from Sabertooth entered the guild doors. They just stood by the entrance watching the ruckus for a moment until a barstool came sailing their way and Rogue had to pull Yukino out of its path. Sting was too busy laughing at Natsu being tossed into a wall to notice the next incoming projectile, so he ended up on the ground with a giant knot on his head. He was on his feet almost instantly and going after the presumed culprit, but all movement in the room ceased as Makarov's voice rumbled through the room.

"Cut it out, you brats! Can't you see we have visitors?"

Everyone's attention turned to the doors as the Fairy Tail members unfroze from the positions they had halted in at Makarov's yell.

"Hey, it's the Sabers!" Natsu yelled happily. "Come for a rematch, Sting?"

"That wasn't the purpose of the visit, but I'm happy to get to that after I talk to the old man," Sting answered with a grin. Yukino and Rogue sighed simultaneously before Rogue stepped forward to grab his brother by the shirt and started dragging him towards Makarov. This left Yukino fidgeting by the door until Lucy came up and threw her arms around the girl.

"It's so good to see you!" Lucy exclaimed. "Come sit with me at the bar. It's marginally safer over there."

Yukino allowed the blonde to drag her to the bar while the twin slayers disappeared upstairs with Makarov. Another brawl started just as they reached their seats next to Laxus and Cana. The celestial wizards had barely begun catching up since the last time they'd seen one another before Yukino was knocked off of her seat to the ground with a pink-haired man on top of her. She blushed furiously as Natsu tried to orient himself.

"Sorry, Yuki," he said with a wide grin before picking himself up. He offered her a hand. He was a little overly exuberant in helping her to her feet, and she fell into him. They both nearly toppled to the ground again, but Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Yukino's face felt like it was on fire, which seemed appropriate considering who was holding her. She stepped away from him as quickly as she could. He offered another of his trademark smiles before turning back to rejoin the fray.

Yukino settled back onto the barstool and clutched at the bar slightly. She tried to take deep breaths and willed the heat in her cheeks to dissipate before someone noticed. Of course, she was sitting next to Lucy, and the demon barmaid had just appeared to take their drink orders before Natsu crashed into her.

"Yukino, do you have a crush on Natsu?" Mira asked her adopted sister. Her usual sweet smile was in place, but Yukino felt something sinister lurking in the question.

"What?! No, of course not! And even if I did, which I don't, I know that he's Lucy's, so I would never even think of him like that to begin with so… No, definitely no," Yukino stammered.

"What do you mean he's mine?" Lucy asked with a frown.

"Well, everyone knows that you and Natsu are together, or at least that you will be at some point." Yukino shrugged. It was common knowledge throughout Fiore. They were one of the strongest mage partnerships, and it was no secret how close the two were. At least, that's what Yukino thought.

"I take offense to that," Laxus piped up from the other side of Lucy. "As if I'd ever give Lucy a reason to ditch me for that pyro pipsqueak."

Yukino's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the giant blonde dragon slayer slipped an arm around Lucy's waist in an unconscious possessive gesture. Cana laughed and took another chug from her keg. Mira also acted as though this was nothing unusual. Lucy giggled at her friend's expression.

"I'll admit, it's a pretty common misconception," Lucy said. "But Natsu and I have only ever been friends. There's exactly zero attraction there, so go for it."

"If you are interested, we'd love to help you nab him," Mira said. That terrifying gleam was in her eyes still. Yukino merely stammered some more and wondered if the blood rushing to her face could make her head explode so that she could escape this embarrassment. Luckily, she was saved from producing an actual reply by the reappearance of the masters of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth.

"Listen up, brats!" Makarov bellowed. "Sabertooth has come to me with a rather interesting proposition. As you all know, our S-class trials will be taking place next month. Sabertooth will be holding a similar trial, and Sting has suggested that we combine the two events into one."

An excited murmur ran through the guild, but it was quickly stilled by Makarov raising his hand.

"I take it no one is opposed? Good. Once the details are ironed out and the participants are chosen, there will be another announcement. In the meantime, let's celebrate the joint trials by showing these tigers how the fairies like to party!"

Everyone cheered, with Cana's voice rising above the rest. Mira and Kinana practically flew around the guild refilling everyone's drinks as Cana started rounding up participants for her famous drinking games. Yukino was pulled away for a moment by Rogue and Sting. Lucy's eyes flicked around the guildhall from Natsu to Yukino to Cana and back as a tiny spark of an idea formed. She was startled out of her ruminations by a nudge from her slayer.

"Starting to take after the demon?" Laxus asked.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. She both hated and loved that he could read her so well after such a short time together. It wasn't terribly surprising, though. Apparently he had been borderline stalking her since his return to the guild, though he hadn't actually told her of his interest until after the Grand Magic Games. Apparently the Flare incident and hearing about her future self being murdered were the spurs that Laxus needed to finally confess his feelings to her, whether she accepted him or not. It had only been a few months, but already she had trouble remembering a time when they weren't together.

"You shouldn't compare me to her," Lucy said. "I'm not trying to plan Yukino's wedding or future babies. I'm just wondering if maybe Natsu is interested, too."

Laxus snorted. Lucy huffed and tried to pull away from him, but he just dragged her in closer and nuzzled her hair. She tried to swat him away, but he started tickling her. She was a giggling mess and practically falling off the barstool before he stopped and got serious again.

"You think the matchstick has an interest in anything beyond food and fighting?" Laxus asked.

"You'd be surprised," Lucy mused as she righted herself on the stool. She returned to surveying the three main figures of her plan, but she turned back to her slayer when he sighed heavily.

"Just don't get your hopes up, starlight," he muttered. Lucy ignored him as she flagged down Cana.

* * *

Yukino wondered how she got roped into this game. Granted, Sting and Rogue had been corralled with her, but still. Several members of Fairy Tail were ranged around the table with them. Cana sat at the head where she was busily shuffling a deck of cards.

"Alright, first game of the night: Ring of Fire!" Cana announced as she threw the deck to the center of the table. The cards landed face down in a perfect circle around a large empty cup. A couple of people groaned, but no one got up to leave.

"What are the rules of this game?" Rogue asked.

"Each person draws a card on their turn. Each card has a different rule, so we'll just explain as we go along," Cana said. "After each card, the person who drew it pours a bit of their drink into the cup in the middle."

"And what happens to that?" Sting asked. Cana grinned.

"You'll see," she said with a wink. "Now, I had Freed draw up some runes, so there's no pussing out on drinks and no lying."

"Seriously, Freed? You are so whipped," Laxus groaned. The rune mage gave him a sheepish look, but Cana pulled him in for a one-armed hug and glared at the lightning slayer.

"Alright, let's do this!" Cana pumped her fist in the air and drew the first card. "Oo, we're starting the night off right. It's waterfall, ladies and gents."

She flipped the card around to show a picture of rapids and beautifully cascading falls. There was a general chorus of groans and even a couple of curses.

"You rigged this, didn't you?" Gray said with a scowl.

"I don't understand. What does it mean?" Yukino asked.

"It means that we all start drinking at once, and you can't stop until the person in front of you stops, which basically means that none of us get to quit chugging until Cana empties her keg," Lucy explained.

"Hey, I don't have to drink it all," Cana said. Lucy raised an eyebrow at her friend, and the brunette chuckled. "Though, you're right; I probably will. Everybody ready? Go!"

Yukino was already feeling very warm when Cana finally set down her barrel and everyone else instantly lowered their drinks, most of which were also empty. The Sabertooth mage was beginning to wonder about the wisdom of taking Mira up on the suggestion of her specialty fruity drinks. It seemed that the bright pink beverage was decidedly more alcoholic than the barmaid had let on. As if her thoughts had conjured the woman, Mira appeared with another of the cocktails and whisked away Yukino's empty glass.

"Okay, babe, it's your turn," Cana said. Freed reached forward to grasp another card.

Half an hour later, Yukino was trying to figure out why there was an invisible little green man sitting on her glass and why she had to remove him and put him back for every drink. She decided that Bickslow was evil for suggesting such a rule when he drew the King because there was no way she was going to remember it. Freed's runes were acting as an excellent alarm system anytime someone broke the rule, and as a result, Yukino was on her fifth fruity drink despite rarely having to participate for any of the other cards. At least she wasn't the only one having trouble, Sting was struggling with the little green man even more than she was. He was beginning to sag slightly in his seat, and they'd only made one full circuit around the table.

"Hey Cana, I don't recognize this one," Natsu said as he held up a card. It depicted two lovers in a passionate embrace.

"Pick a date," Cana said. "When they drink, you drink, and vice versa."

"Ah gotcha," Natsu said. He looked around the table for a moment before exclaiming, "Hey, Yukino, be my date!"

At least her face was already red from the alcohol so no one could blame her flushed face on the fire dragon's choice of words. She gave a tiny nod, and she couldn't help but return his grin. That smile of his was infectious. Not only that, but it was far more entrancing than a simple smile had any right to be. She didn't realize that she was staring at him until Rogue nudged her with his elbow. A few more cards were drawn without her or Natsu having to drink, and then it was her turn to draw again.

Yukino looked at the picture in confusion. As with all of Cana's cards, it was beautifully illustrated. The image was a volcano spewing lava and smoke into the dark sky behind it. She could practically feel the heat from the lava where it flowed down the destroyed mountainside. She held it up for Cana to see with a questioning look. A few people sighed with relief, but Cana looked disappointed.

"Already? Dammit," Cana sighed. "Welp, game's over guys. I've got another one, though."

"So, this card ends the game?" Yukino asked. "Is that all?"

"All? Oh no," Cana said with a chuckle. "You get to drink that."

The card mage pointed to the middle of the table, and Yukino's confusion grew. Then, she turned slightly green as she surveyed the brown contents of the glass at the center of the table. No one at the table was drinking the same thing, so when they each poured a bit into the clear container, it slowly morphed through several sickly colors before settling on a muddy brown. Yukino felt the alcohol she had already consumed threatening to come back up as she studied the glass with horror. Summoning her courage, she started to reach for it, but it was quickly snatched away before she even got close. She turned in shock to find Natsu downing the contents in one long chug.

"Ah, Natsu, that was Yukino's!" Cana exclaimed.

"Well, I am her date, right? When she drinks, I drink, so I drank."

Yukino wasn't entirely sure why, but she found that logic hilarious. She started giggling softly, and Natsu rewarded her with one of his grins.

"Whatever," Cana said. "Who's up for the next game?"

Pretty much everyone at the table bowed out, so Cana was forced to go recruiting again. Yukino rested her chin on her hand with her elbow propped on the table as she surveyed the guild. Sting was amusing himself by poking Rogue in the side and seeing how long it would take for the shadow slayer to react. Gray had started searching frantically for his clothes once Lucy pointed out that he was naked again. Said blonde was curled up on the lap of her behemoth of a boyfriend. Rogue finally reacted to the prodding of his side by jerking back and knocking into Yukino before landing a punch on his brother's face.

Yukino struggled to remain in her seat as the twin slayers began brawling. They were quickly joined by Gajeel and Gray, along with a few other members. She expected to see the pink-haired slayer join them, but instead she looked up to find him placing a steadying hand on her shoulder as she still swayed in the seat.

"You feeling okay?" Natsu asked. Yukino nodded, though the movement was fairly difficult.

"Drinking games with Cana can be pretty rough if you aren't used to it," he said. "I'll have Mira get you some water."

He started to move away, but Yukino grabbed his hand. He glanced back down at her, and Yukino thought it was cute the way his head tilted to the side in silent query.

"Thank you for taking the drink for me," Yukino said quietly.

"Don't mention it," Natsu said. He rubbed the back of his head and looked suddenly bashful. "Like I said, Cana, drinking games, rough the first time. You know."

"Still, I really do appreciate it," Yukino said. She squeezed his hand before letting go.

"I'll get you that water," Natsu said before practically running away. Yukino watched him for a moment but then she felt eyes on her. She turned to find Lucy watching her with a small smirk, but the blonde didn't say anything. Still, Yukino was pretty sure that she now knew why she'd been roped into the drinking game in the first place. The room was suddenly far too hot and crowded. Yukino jumped to her feet and made her way to the guild doors with only a slight stagger.

The night air was wonderfully refreshing as she stepped out and let the door close behind her. Her thoughts were still muddled, but at least she didn't feel like she was going to suffocate anymore. Yukino stepped over to sit on one of the benches in front of the guild hall. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. Even though they were in the middle of the city of Magnolia, she could see a lovely breadth of stars above. She picked out Libra's constellation, and she smiled as she thought of her friend. She was so busy picking out constellations that she didn't hear the guild doors open behind her.

"Got you that water," Natsu said as he sat down beside her on the bench. Yukino felt her cheeks warming again as she took the glass with a whispered thanks. They sat in silence for a while as she slowly sipped the water. It helped to clear her head more than the fresh air alone could, but she still felt fuzzy. The world seemed muted and blurred, yet somehow bright at the same time. It was very confusing, and Yukino distantly realized that she was truly drunk for the first time in her life.

"It's amazing how many stars you can see even being in town," Yukino murmured.

"You must like the stars a lot," Natsu said. "I know Lucy does. She can rattle on for hours about them if you let her."

"I guess she's taught you a lot then?" Yukino asked as she shifted her gaze to the glass of water clutched between her hands.

"Not really," Natsu said with a shrug. "They're more her thing."

"Oh," Yukino said softly. She couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that Natsu didn't share her interest in the night sky, though she shouldn't really be surprised. Everything she'd seen of him could be summed up as the 3 Fs: fighting, food, and family. But then, she also liked that about him. He was strong and uncomplicated. Things that she felt she couldn't claim to be.

"Maybe you can tell me about them, though," Natsu said. He stood up and held out a hand for her. "Come on, I'll show you a place where we can see them way better than here, and you can tell me about the constellations."

"But I thought they weren't your thing?" Yukino said.

"Maybe you can bring me around to liking them," Natsu said. He grinned at her, and even in the dim light the sight made her heart stutter. She set the glass of water on the bench beside her and hesitantly placed her hand in his. His grin widened just before he sprinted into the dark, dragging her along behind as he gripped her hand tightly.

He led her to a hill just outside of town. The streetlights weren't visible from here, so the lights in the sky stood out with greater clarity. Natsu plopped onto the ground and stretched out on his back as Yukino dropped more gracefully to lie beside him.

"I'm not sure where to begin," Yukino said.

"Okay, I'll help you. Start with that one." Natsu pointed to the brightest star in the sky. Even with her mind still hazy from the alcohol, Yukino had no trouble recalling the star and its constellation. She started talking softly. She talked and talked about one constellation after another as time ticked by them. Natsu would murmur encouragement from time to time, but otherwise he let her continue uninterrupted. She turned to glance at him and found him looking at her instead of the sky. Her cheeks heated under his steady gaze, and she quickly turned back to the stars to continue her storytelling.

Her eyes began to feel heavy, and she yawned sporadically, but she didn't want the night to end yet. Yukino knew she should head back to the inn where she was staying with Rogue and Sting, but she just wanted a few more minutes in his company. She fell asleep in the middle of a sentence.

Natsu smiled at the sleeping girl beside him. He gently gathered her in his arms and carried her back to the guild. There was a minor uproar when he entered with Yukino in his arms, but he shushed them all with a stern glare before reluctantly handing her off to Rogue. Yukino had wound her arms around his neck in her sleep, and she didn't seem to want to let go. Natsu carefully pried her fingers from his neck as she tried to nuzzle closer to him. He blushed slightly when she murmured his name.

When the shadow dragon slayer had carried the sleeping girl out of the guild hall, the Fairy Tail mages couldn't contain themselves any longer and started yelling questions and encouragement at him from every side.

"Nothing happened!" Natsu finally yelled in response to a particularly salacious statement from Cana. "I took her some water and we talked for a while. End of story. Go away."

He flopped onto a bench next to Lucy. Laxus had fallen asleep with his head in her lap as she slowly stroked his hair. She turned to her best friend with a small smile.

"So?" She prompted.

"So, I just told everyone," Natsu huffed. She arched a brow at him, and he groaned. "So, I couldn't tell her what I planned to tonight because she was too drunk."

Lucy's eyes widened. Laxus chuckled, and she swatted his shoulder.

"I thought you were asleep?" She yelled.

"All the ruckus woke me up," he said. She tried to push him off her lap, but he reached up to wrap his arm around her and poked her in the side. "I told you so."

"Told me so?" She asked.

"I told you not to get your hopes up for your little plan."

"Wait… I thought you meant not to get my hopes up about Natsu liking her."

"Laxus already knew I was interested in Yuki," Natsu interrupted. He slammed his head down on the table. "I wanted to tell her tonight, but you and Cana got her too drunk. Now I have to wait for another chance."

Lucy grimaced as guilt bloomed in her chest. She silently vowed to never catch Mira's matchmaking sickness again. She had to smile at the chivalry Natsu was showing, though. She was kind of proud of him. She patted him on the back, and he raised his head to regard her sadly.

"Sorry I screwed it up, Natsu," she said. "But you'll get another chance. I'll even help!"

"No more helping," Laxus said. He stood up and heaved the startled celestial mage over his shoulder. "Natsu's got this. I've got you. Let's go home."

Lucy tried to protest, but he set her on her feet briefly before swinging her into a princess carry where he covered her lips with his. Natsu chuckled at how easily the lightning slayer could shut his best friend up. He wished he had a trick like that, though he knew if he ever tried Laxus's go-to move, the older slayer would zap him so hard he'd time travel. Natsu gave Laxus a small salute as the blondes left the guild hall.

His thoughts drifted to the other celestial mage. He hadn't been able to tell her how he felt tonight, but there was always tomorrow. And with the combined S-Class trials, he knew he'd have a chance to tell her at some point. For now, he'd hold onto that. Natsu was pulled from his thoughts by a chunk of ice hitting him in the face. Within seconds, Natsu was on his feet and heading over to pummel the ice make mage.

Across town, a white-haired celestial mage dreamed of a fire-breathing dragon under the stars.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so here's the continuation finally! Oh, and... well... this may end up being more than a two-shot/three-shot. I'm really thinking I might make this a whole story now because somehow Lucy and Laxus have ended up being a big part of this, and I have this whole idea for the S-Class trials mapping itself out in my head. So, this will probably continue for a few more chapters. Follow if you like that idea! And review, too!**

* * *

 **S-Class Partnerships**

Makarov gathered everyone together a week later with the details for the combined S-Class trials. Lucy stood between Natsu and Gray while the master and the four S-Class wizards stood on the second-floor balcony. Mavis sat on the railing with her feet dangling over the side. Lucy's gaze drifted to her boyfriend standing next to his grandfather, and he winked at her. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret that.

"Alright, brats. Due to the combined nature of the events, we will not be holding the trials on Tenrou Island this year."

A few people sighed in relief. Mostly it was the ones who had been left behind after the last trials. Lucy felt a little more at ease, too. She'd already lost seven years, and while that wasn't likely to happen again, she still felt better remaining on the mainland. Then again, she might not even be involved this year.

"In fact, the trials will be held over all of Fiore," Makarov continued. He held up a hand to silence the general rumble of the guild members. "It will all be explained in time. For now, we need to announce the competitors. There will be six candidates from each guild. A candidate from Fairy Tail will partner with a candidate from Sabertooth. You can choose your partner if they agree to it, but you can only choose from those six."

Lucy's brow furrowed a bit at that. She had hoped that she would be able to help one of her friends win S-Class rank this year as she had tried to do with Cana seven years ago. She sighed. _Looks like I'll be on the sidelines this time_ , she thought.

"Now, the S-Class candidates from Fairy Tail will be: Natsu Dragneel."

Everyone clapped, but there was no real surprise there.

"Gray Fullbuster."

Juvia nearly melted in her excitement, but other than that the response was the same as for Natsu.

"Lucy Heartfilia."

"Wait what?" Lucy asked. Natsu just thumped her on the back and grinned down at her.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're my best friend," he said. Lucy blinked at him for a moment before regaining her composure.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Flame Brain," she said with a wink.

"Gajeel Redfox."

Pantherlily and Levy both cheered loudly.

"Freed Justine."

"Oh lord, not again," Freed muttered. Bickslow laughed loudly beside him.

"And finally, Juvia Lockser."

"I must compete against my love again?" She wailed.

Everyone ignored her as the master brought the meeting to a close.

"The candidates from Sabertooth will be arriving shortly and you will be able to choose your partners during the party. You will have a week to get to know them and train together before the trials begin. Congratulations, my children."

It wasn't until Lucy climbed onto a barstool that the reality of the situation hit her. Her head instantly thumped onto the bar top.

"What's wrong, starlight?"

Lucy turned her head so that her cheek was lying on the bar and she could see her boyfriend giving her a worried frown.

"I'm going to die," she said. "I'm so insanely out-classed here."

"The old man wouldn't have chosen you if he didn't think you could do it, Lucy," Laxus said. "You proved during the games and in the fight against the dragons that you are one of the toughest members of this guild and ready for S-Class. You shouldn't doubt yourself. I never do."

"Well, you wouldn't doubt yourself because you're kind of a bad ass," Lucy said, but her impish smile was back as she spoke.

"You know what I meant, smart ass," he said. He flicked her nose before he pulled her into a hug. "I love you, and I believe in you. So does everyone else in the guild."

The doors to the guildhall slammed open before she could reply to the fact that he had just said "I love you" for the first time. Sting strode into the hall with several members of his guild trailing behind. Lucy only recognized a couple of them, but then, she hadn't really had much to do with Sabertooth other than the twin dragon slayers and Yukino.

"Ah, Sting, it's good to see you again," Makarov said.

Natsu barely heard anything else that was said between the two guild masters. His eyes were locked on the silver hair of the Sabertooth celestial mage. She had her back to him where he stood next to the crumpled form of Jet, who had accidentally gotten tangled up in the fight between Natsu and Gray. The world around him seemed to slow as she turned and her brown eyes met his. He remembered to breathe when Gray kicked him in the back and Natsu landed on his face.

He leaped back to his feet looking around wildly. He saw Gray prepared for him to attack, but Natsu ignored his rival for once. His eyes darted around the hall. How had she disappeared so fast? He caught sight of short silver hair near the bar and made a beeline for the girl and gripped her shoulders. Instead of Yukino, he found Lisanna. She gave him a confused look as he pushed away from her and scanned the room again. He finally spotted Lucy talking to the other celestial wizard animatedly. His eyes widened in horror.

Natsu leaped up on the bar and sprinted down it, knocking aside plates and mugs as he did. He vaguely heard Mira angrily yelling at him, but Natsu ignored her. He was sure he would pay for that later, but for now, he was on a mission. He really didn't remember the bar being this long, but it seemed to take him an eternity to reach the two celestial wizards. He finally skidded to a halt and plopped down to sit cross-legged on the bar in front of them. They both stared up at him in shock as Natsu reached over to put a hand on each of Yukino's shoulders.

"Yuki, be my partner," Natsu said.

Yukino stared up him with wide eyes. She felt herself getting lost in the intensity of his gaze. She vaguely heard Lucy sputtering something before she was dragged away by Laxus, but Yukino really couldn't focus on anything but Natsu. His pitch black eyes seem to bore into her soul, and she noticed for the first time that he had a light sprinkling of freckles across his nose. His pink locks dipped over his forehead, and she wondered how soft they would be. Yukino finally realized he was still waiting for an answer, and she nodded slowly.

Natsu grinned wider than she'd ever seen. He leaped off of the table. His hands moved from her shoulders to her waist as he picked her up off the bar stool and swung her around until they were both dizzy and laughing.

"I can't wait to get started training. I've got the best place for it, too. You're going to love it," Natsu said. He finally released her waist to pound a flaming fist into his open palm. "I'm all fired up!"

Natsu gave her a final grin before flinging himself into a brawl that had started between Gray, Elfman, and a couple of tigers. Yukino stared after him for a moment before looking around for Lucy. She felt a little guilty now that the heat of the moment had passed. She was pretty sure that Lucy had been in the middle of asking her to partner up when Natsu appeared dashing down the bar. Still, guilty or not, she really couldn't regret it. She just hoped that Lucy would understand. She finally caught sight of the blonde at a table with Laxus and one of Yukino's guild mates. She decided to join them and apologize quickly.

"So Sting stripped them of their S-Class ranks?" Lucy said. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Yukino's guild mate, Garrick, nodded.

"Orga was defeated by a wizard saint, so normally that would not have led to his rank demotion, but then and S-Class from Fairy Tail defeated the wizard saint immediately after. Orga basically demoted himself. He lost a lot of confidence from that one," Garrick said.

Laxus snickered, and Lucy elbowed him in the ribs.

"But what about Rufus?"

"Well, he did lose to Gray, a non-S-Class wizard," Yukino said with a shrug. "Again, Sting probably wouldn't have demoted his rank, but Rufus insisted he had more to learn. They're both here to prove themselves more than anything else."

Lucy hummed softly at that. Yukino fiddled with her thumbs for a moment before glancing sheepishly up at the blonde.

"Um, Lucy? I know that you probably wanted to partner up with me, but I—"

"Don't worry about it!" Lucy cut her off. "I think you and Natsu will make a great team. I don't really know any of the others competing, but I'm sure that whoever I end up with can help me take you both down."

The celestial wizards grinned at each other for a second before Garrick cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm in need of a partner if you're up for it," he said. Lucy felt Laxus stiffen slightly beside her, but he held his tongue.

"Why me, though?" Lucy said. "I mean, you saw Gray and Gajeel in the games. They were way stronger than I am."

"Strength isn't the only thing to being an S-Class wizard," Garrick said. "I believe that's the real reason that Orga and Rufus, and even Rogue, have chosen to test themselves here. For so long, Sabertooth valued nothing but strength. Now, we're all trying to piece together those other things we are lacking."

He took a deep breath and glanced at Laxus before returning his gaze to Lucy.

"I believe that you are strong. After all, not many could take the beating that Minerva gave you without begging for it to end. Even if you lack the physical strength of some of your guild mates, from what Yukino has said, and from what they write in Sorcerer's Weekly, you embody everything that makes Fairy Tail great. So you ask: why you? I say: who better than you?"

Lucy smiled softly at him. Laxus growled slightly, and she reached over absently to pinch him in the side. He glared at her before turning his angry gaze to Garrick.

"While everything you said was completely true about Lucy, why should she partner up with _you?"_ Laxus asked. Garrick held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"Well, in about 2.5 seconds, I will be the only option remaining," he said.

Before Lucy could form the question, Makarov stood up and announced that all partnerships had been formed. She glanced around wildly to see Rufus and Gray standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Orga towered protectively over Juvia while a blushing Freed stood awkwardly beside a woman with dark purple hair. Gajeel and Rogue were facing each other, and Lucy thought they really did look like brothers. Her gaze finally came back around to the people at her table where Natsu had appeared to place a hand on Yukino's shoulder.

Lucy finally turned her attention back to Garrick who was eyeing Laxus warily. She giggled as she scooted slightly closer to the lightning dragon slayer and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Alright, Garrick, looks like we're partners," she said. He gave her a hesitant smile in return, and he flinched at the small growl that came from Laxus in response.

"Party well tonight, my children," Makarov said. "For tomorrow, you begin training for the trials which will begin one week from today. Good luck to you all."


	3. Chapter 3

Yukino woke in the room she was sharing with Nova. She closed her eyes again almost as quickly as she had opened them against the glare of the sun through the window. She shifted slightly and felt something heavy lying on her stomach and something very warm cuddling her neck. Yukino cracked one eye open to find Sting clutching her like a teddy bear and Lector snuggled against her head on the other side. Yukino sighed. Best friend or not, at some point he was going to have to learn to sleep in his own damn bed no matter how comfortable he thought hers was.

Suddenly, Yukino remembered what today was. She lay in bed for a moment letting the sunlight wash over her as she tried to get her heart to stop beating so frantically. In just a few hours, she would be leaving for a surprise location with Natsu Dragneel to train for the S-Class trials.

"I hope I don't embarrass myself," she muttered.

"You will if you keep talking to yourself like that," Nova mumbled before burying her head under the pillow.

Yukino sighed and lifted Sting's arm off of her so she could climb out of bed. The purple-haired woman had been with Sabertooth longer than Yukino, and she was finding it hard to adjust to the new, friendlier form of the guild. Yukino hoped that Nova's anti-social personality wouldn't jeopardize the plan to form stronger bonds with Fairy Tail. She didn't know anything about the Rune Mage that Nova had partnered with, but Yukino also hoped that he could handle it.

Sting and Nova were still passed out when Yukino left the room, though Lector waved to her sleepily as she left. She emerged from the inn to find Natsu dancing around excitedly in front of the building with his exceed Happy flying around his head in lazy circles.

"Ready to go? I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled. He grabbed her hand and started tugging her down the street as he had the night of her first Fairy Tail party.

"But how did you find me?" Yukino asked while she tried to keep up.

"I smelled you," Natsu said. Yukino wasn't quite sure how to take that. She knew that dragon slayers had heightened senses, but she didn't think that Rogue or Sting would be able to track her down like a bloodhound.

Natsu finally slowed his pace and released her hand as they reached the edge of town. Yukino felt suddenly awkward as they strolled through the forest side by side. She vaguely remembered talking to him easily while drunk on a hillside, but she had no idea how to start a conversation now. Did he even want to talk? Maybe he was focusing on their training regimen. What if he'd only chosen her because his usual partner used the same type of magic? Dozens of thoughts buzzed through her head as the silence of the forest in the early morning surrounded them.

She had finally made up her mind to say something to break the awkward tension that she might have been imagining when Natsu suddenly pulled her to a stop. He sniffed the air and gestured to Happy. The blue cat took off into the sky and zipped back down toward them almost immediately.

"On your left!" Happy yelled just as a giant forest Vulcan crashed through the underbrush. The creature nearly trampled them, but Natsu managed to grab Yukino around the waist and pull her out of harm's way.

"Pretty woman!" The Vulcan yelled as he danced in place. "Give!"

"Not on your life, creep," Natsu said. Flames glimmered around his hands as he stepped in front of Yukino.

"Then you die," the Vulcan said before charging forward. Natsu met him in the middle, and the Vulcan was laid out unconscious on the ground in a matter of seconds. Natsu immediately turned back to Yukino.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Come on, we should keep moving to the training spot."

Yukino nodded and fell into step slightly behind Natsu this time. The whole experience left a bad taste in her mouth. She'd never needed anyone to rescue her before. She prided herself on her strength before her loss to Kagura in the games. Since that day, she'd lost something. Some part of herself had vanished, and she wondered now if that cool, confident woman she thought she was had ever really existed.

They still walked in silence but now it was a different kind of tension. Yukino was sure that Natsu must be regretting his decision to partner with her. The first sign of a mere Vulcan, and he thought she needed to be protected. Did everyone think she was that weak? Sting had said that she deserved a shot at S-Class rank, but did she really?

She glanced at Natsu's back as he strode ahead of her. She noted the tense set of his shoulders, and the way his hands still seemed to be smoking slightly. Heat radiated off of him to glide over her skin. Was he angry with her?

Natsu was oblivious to the fretting of the woman behind him as he dealt with his own issues. Happy flew beside him casting worried glances in his best friend's direction. Natsu had half a mind to go back and beat the Vulcan again, to pound it into the ground over and over for daring to threaten Yukino. Beneath the anger that bubbled so close to the surface, Natsu was also worried about being alone with Yukino for an entire week. Sure, Happy was with them, but the exceed knew how Natsu felt about the celestial mage. Natsu's skin prickled with the nervousness that roiled in his gut. How was he supposed to tell her? How would she react? And then there was the fact that she had absolutely reeked of Sting when she came out of her inn. Were they together? Natsu didn't think they were, but maybe he'd been wrong to think that Yukino and Sting were like him and Lucy.

A gasp from Yukino pulled Natsu out of his thoughts. He grinned when he realized they had arrived. He turned to take in Yukino's reaction.

"So beautiful," she murmured. A lake spread out before them with a waterfall just visible on the far side. The water tumbled from cliffs of copper-colored clay to feed the lake, which lapped at the sand a short distance from the edge of the forest. A fish leaped from the water, and Yukino laughed at the adoring look that appeared on Happy's face.

Natsu smiled softly.

"Come on, I'll show you where we'll set up camp," he said. He took her hand once again and drew her away from the trees. Up a small incline, there was a grassy area with a fire pit already dug into the ground and ringed with black stones. From the new vantage point, Yukino could see the entire lake. In many areas, the trees came right up to the water, but on this edge there was the beach where they had first emerged and a large grass-covered knoll including the campsite.

"We'll train on the cliffs above the waterfall," Natsu said.

"Train how?" Yukino asked. Natsu grinned at her, and she felt her heart stutter as it always did when he looked at her with that smile.

"You'll see tomorrow," he said.

"But we only have seven days to train," Yukino said.

"I know, but that also means that I only have seven days to get to know you. We can train tomorrow. Today, let's just… hang out," Natsu said. He rubbed the back of his neck as he waited for her reply. She finally nodded. He pumped his fist in the air before picking her up and swinging her around as he had done in the guild.

"Natsu! Can we go fishing now?" Happy whined. Yukino giggled at the exceed.

"Sure, buddy. Let's do it," Natsu said. He set his pack on the ground and produced three fishing poles. He turned to Yukino and asked, "Ever been fishing?"

She shook her head.

"First time for everything!" Natsu exclaimed. He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the beach. Pulling her around by the hand seemed to be a habit of his, but it wasn't one that she minded terribly.

Natsu set up a pole for her and explained the basics. They fished in silence for a while as Happy muttered constantly about "delicious fish."

"Say, Yuki, why are you always so quiet?" Natsu asked finally.

"I-I don't know," Yukino said. She felt her cheeks heat up as he glanced at her before focusing back on the lake. She hated that she was being so awkward. Talking to him on the hillside that night had been so easy, but now, she had no idea what to say.

"Tell me about Sabertooth," Natsu said. It felt so much like he had read her mind that for a moment Yukino couldn't respond. He looked at her with that same questioning head tilt.

"I'm not sure where to begin," she said.

"I'll help you. Start with Sting," he said. Yukino thought she caught a hint of anger in the way he said the guild master's name, but she couldn't be sure. She decided if it had been there it was probably just due to their friendly rivalry, so she shook it off and launched into the story of how she met the hot-headed white dragon slayer.

Later that night, Natsu lay awake in his tent staring at the ceiling.

"Natsu, stop thinking so loud," Happy muttered sleepily.

"Sorry, buddy. Just thinking about Yuki. And Sting."

Yukino had moved on from talking about the other dragon slayer to telling him about Rogue, Rufus, Orga, and the other members of their guild. She'd talked about their barman Nicola and their doctor, Mr. Humphrey. She talked about how much things had changed since Sting became the master of the guild. Each time Sting's name was mentioned, Natsu felt something clench painfully inside him.

"Are you going to tell her soon?" Happy asked.

"I don't know, Happy. I don't want things to be weird. I think… I think she likes Sting."

"That's crazy," Happy said. He yawned loudly and settled closer to Natsu.

"Maybe, but maybe not," Natsu said.

"Just don't wait too long this time," Happy mumbled.

Happy started snoring softly. Natsu ruffled the fur on his friend's head. He kept staring at the tent ceiling long after Happy had drifted to sleep. He knew the exceed was right. He had waited too long before. Once he'd finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt, she was already with someone else. He didn't want that to happen again, but what if it was already too late?

"I just have to wait for the right moment," Natsu murmured before his eyes finally drifted closed.

* * *

 **A/N: So many follows and faves! Yay! Makes me :D And thank you to those who have reviewed as well! I'll be responding to those individually soon. Let me know what you think of this latest installment :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello, all! While this story is focused on Yukino and Natsu, I plan to do some jumping around to the other combatants now that this is going to be a chapter fic. With that in mind, this is a look at what Lucy and Garrick are up to. Don't forget to review, follow, and fave!**

* * *

Lucy sat in a small clearing in the woods trying to meditate. Garrick sat opposite her mimicking her pose and trying to follow the instructions that Capricorn was giving them both. It reminded Lucy of when Capricorn had tried to train Laxus in their form of meditation. After all, Garrick and Laxus had the same build, so she could almost imagine that it _was_ her boyfriend sitting across from her instead of a near stranger.

"Watch Miss Lucy," Capricorn said. "She's going to draw her power out in a physical manifestation. How it appears will differ from wizard to wizard based on their magic."

Lucy blocked out the sound of her spirit speaking as she concentrated on the feel of the magical container within her. She'd always heard it described as a vial or an orb, but Lucy always pictured hers as an 8-pointed star. She concentrated on the mental image of the star bubbling with gold and drew a tiny drop of the magic from the topmost point. She felt the touch of warmth as the golden dot drew out of her chest to float lazily around her. Once she had the dollop of magic in orbit, she drew out another from the next point on the star.

Once eight golden orbs were floating around her like electrons around a nucleus, she focused on growing them. Capricorn's voice filtered through her mind, but it merely washed over gently, depositing a tiny seashell of information without otherwise disturbing the smooth sand. She started reeling the balls of light in one by one until all of her magic was safely back into the star-shaped container.

Lucy opened her eyes to find Garrick staring at her with his ice blue eyes wide open. She giggled at his fishy appearance, and the brunette blushed as he swept his bangs off of his forehead.

"That was awesome," he said.

"Thanks, but it's not really that hard once you get the hang of it," Lucy said. She stood up and stretched.

"You were a little shaky on drawing the magic back in, Miss Lucy. You must work harder," Capricorn said. Lucy rolled her eyes at the goat, and he turned to Garrick. "Work on the exercises again before bed tonight, and then each morning and night. It will help you gain control over your magic and organically expand your magical container over time. Perhaps not enough to help next week, but in the future…"

"Thank you for teaching me," Garrick said. He stood and bowed his head with his hands folded in front of him. Capricorn looked mildly surprised, but he returned the gesture before disappearing back to the spirit world.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Garrick asked. He was letting Lucy figure out their training regimen. She'd chosen the location with Laxus's help, and now she was leading him through her usual paces.

"Hand-to-hand," she said. "But first, let's have a bite to eat. Just a snack, though."

She led him over to their tents and rummaged in her duffle bag for some packages of dried fruit before settling onto the ground. She tossed Garrick a bag of fruit as he sat down a short distance from her. She produced a water bottle from her bag and took a sip.

"So tell me about your magic," she said. Garrick paused in his attempts to rip open the plastic package. They both glanced up as they heard something rustling in the bushes nearby, but when no wild animals appeared, they went back to staring at each other while Lucy waited for a reply and Garrick tried to figure out what to say.

"It's kind of hard to explain," he finally said. He tore the package open violently and some of the dried fruit bits fell to the grass in front of him. "It's a lost magic called Future Sight. It has zero offensive capability. Basically, when I concentrate, I can see up to ten minutes into the future. That's why I'm glad Capricorn taught me a better way to meditate today. Focus is key to my magic."

Lucy just stared at him for a moment. Just what had she gotten herself into? She knew there would be more to the S-Class trials than just fighting, but there would still definitely be fighting. She bit back a groan at the thought; she didn't want to make him feel bad. Then again, he was big enough that maybe he was also at least decent in hand-to-hand combat. Lucy didn't realize that she was regarding his body appraisingly until a growl sounded through the air. She leaped to her feet with adrenaline coursing through her body as she prepped for a fight.

Garrick sighed as he rose to his feet, too.

"You don't have to hide in the bushes, Laxus."

Lucy turned to stare at Garrick, and he just offered her a half-smile. Sure enough, Fairy Tail's resident lightning god appeared from the bushes with a highly amused Bickslow beside him. Lucy's vision started to blur with anger as it fully registered that her boyfriend was indeed standing in front of her. She was striding toward him before she even realized that her body was in motion.

"Now, Starlight, I know you're probably a little upset with me, but let me explain," Laxus said. He held his hands up in a placating gesture, but Lucy was having none of it.

"Lucy Kick!" She yelled as her foot caught the giant in the stomach. He sailed back to crash into a tree on the other side of the clearing. Lucy turned to the seith mage next and prepared another kick, but he dropped to his knees with his hands clasped in supplication.

"This wasn't my idea, Lucy," Bickslow said quickly. "You know the boss man. I can't say no to him. I tried to talk him out of it, but he just doesn't listen."

Lucy groaned and rubbed at her temples.

"Get up, Bickslow," she said. Garrick came up to join the knight as Lucy walked over to Laxus who hadn't bothered to get up from where he'd fallen. She knelt down beside him and helped him into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry I kicked you so hard," Lucy said. "But why the hell are you stalking me when I'm trying to train for the trials?"

Laxus considered his words very carefully before speaking. Eventually he realized that none of his answers were going to keep her calm, so he hoped that complete honesty would make her not castrate him.

"I just didn't want him to try anything while the two of you were alone in the forest," he said. He held a finger to her lips to stall her angry retort. "I know it's stupid, and this was a terrible idea. I just… I can't help wanting to protect you. It's a dragon slayer thing. I get antsy when you're out of my sight anyway, and knowing that you'll be alone with another man for an entire week…"

His voice trailed off into a low growl and Lucy smacked him in the shoulder.

"Sorry, involuntary reaction," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, that's why we're here."

He could tell that Lucy was still violently pissed, but at least she wasn't prepping to kick him again. The petite blonde sighed. She knew from talking to Natsu that sometimes dragon slayers were possessive of things (or people) they thought of as theirs. Natsu had been like that with Lucy for a while, though to a far lesser degree than Laxus.

"You've really got to get this jealousy thing in check, firefly," she said.

She was still ticked, but she really couldn't stay mad at him for long. He absolutely hated that nickname, but he took it as a sign that she was getting over her anger. He loved how forgiving his girlfriend always was; he was pretty sure that was the only thing that saved him from having her walk out the door more than once.

"We should give them some space," Garrick murmured to Bickslow.

"Why? It looks like the worst is over," Bickslow said.

"Yeah, but they're going to start sucking face in about five seconds, and I don't particularly care to see that."

Garrick walked back to the tents to continue eating his dried fruit. Bickslow turned back to watch the blonde couple. He started cackling when sure enough, they collapsed with Lucy on top of the lightning dragon slayer. He joined Garrick once he stopped laughing uncontrollably.

"How'd you know, man?" Bickslow said.

"Didn't you hear me explaining my magic to Lucy when you were spying on us?"

"Naw, Laxus could hear you guys, but I couldn't. He's the one with the heightened senses. That's why he flipped a little when he thought Lucy was checking you out."

"She was going to ask me about my fighting experience," Garrick said with a shrug. "I assume she was sizing me up wondering how much use I'll be in a fight since my magic is non-offensive."

"Again, how do you know that?"

Garrick dove into an explanation of his magic. At some point, the two blondes joined them to listen in. He could see up to ten minutes into the future, but nothing was set in stone. Things could change in the blink of an eye. Still, it was useful for strategy and dodging when in the midst of battle. It also made him perfectly suited for a variety of non-combat jobs, and his Future Sight wasn't limited to just things he could see. If he had a connection with a person, he could look at the future they would experience, as well.

"What kind of connection?" Lucy asked. She absently rubbed her thumb over the back of Laxus's hand where their fingers were intertwined.

"Anything really. Any of my guild mates. You, since we're partners for the trials. Anyone that I've met on a previous job. The trick is knowing who to look for. After all, ten minutes isn't that much time."

They talked for a while longer before Garrick turned to Bickslow.

"You're welcome to share my tent since Laxus will be bunking with Lucy. It's too late for us to train anymore today, so I'll probably head to sleep soon."

Everyone froze for a moment before Laxus said: "How do you know that we're staying?"

Garrick raised an eyebrow at him in response. Lucy giggled. Apparently they were about to have a conversation about it before he decided to cut through the bullshit and settle things. She could see several ways that his magic would be useful, but she could also tell it was going to take a lot of communication and a lot of trust on her part for him to actually help her win the trials.

A short while later, she curled up in the tiny tent against her personal space heater and snuggled in close.

"We'll leave in the morning," Laxus said. "It's going to kill me a little, but I'll give you space to train, starlight. I won't see you until the trials."

Lucy leaned up to kiss him softly.

"Thank you, firefly," she whispered.

She would have loved for him to stay, but she needed this time to get to know her new partner. She had to figure out exactly how to work with Garrick's magic, and to do that, she had to learn to trust him in a very short amount of time. Laxus would only distract her right now. But those thoughts could wait until morning. For now, she enjoyed being wrapped up in the man she loved as she drifted to sleep.


End file.
